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Graphic: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 1966.

Warning

This information was published in 1966 in An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock. It has not been corrected and will not be updated.

Up-to-date information can be found elsewhere in Te Ara.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Contents


Reciprocity With Other Countries

For age and invalids' benefits there has been reciprocity between New Zealand and the Commonwealth of Australia since 1943. Reciprocal arrangements were widened in scope from 1 July 1948 when an agreement came into operation covering not only age and invalids', but also widows', family, unemployment, and sickness benefits and the related Australian social service pensions and allowances. By virtue of the agreement, persons leaving Australia to reside permanently in New Zealand are entitled to have birth and residence in Australia accepted as birth and residence in New Zealand for the purpose of qualifying for social security benefits covered by the agreement. Similarly, persons leaving New Zealand for residence in Australia have birth and residence accepted in determining eligibility for the appropriate Australian pension. For short visits to either country, benefits may be paid by the host country on an agency basis for the period of the visit.

Children moving between New Zealand on the one hand and Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the other, have been provided for by way of reciprocal agreements covering family benefits since 1 December 1948. A further agreement operating from 1 April 1956 covers New Zealand superannuation, age, widows', invalids', orphans', unemployment, and sickness benefits on the one hand and, on the other, the corresponding retirement and widows' pensions, guardians' allowances, and unemployment and sickness benefits under the legislation of the United Kingdom.

The basis of this agreement is that a period of residence in New Zealand, between the ages of 16 years and pensionable age, is regarded as equivalent to a period for which contributions have been paid under the United Kingdom National Insurance Scheme, while a period of residence in the latter country is treated as equivalent to a period of residence in New Zealand. Persons migrating from one country to another are, in general, entitled to claim benefit under the existing legislation of the country of adoption.


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